students resorted to protests after the test centre failed to hold the exam on time.

Though the exam was scheduled to start at 11am, it was delayed by nearly an hour citing the shortage of question papers. More than 900 students were supposed to sit for the test.

Students chanted slogans against the Tribhuvan University’s Office of the Controller of Examinations. Even around one hour after the scheduled time, examinees were not informed why they the centre could not mange the seat plan.

When invigilators entered exam halls with question papers, the agitated students seized them and vandalized the college and clashed with police.

PK’s Assistant Campus Chief Mahesh Dahal said the delay was caused as they got only 100 question papers from the OCE. “We had to conduct exam for 960 students so we had to delay the timing,” Dahal said. However, OCE officials claimed only 90 students had submitted exam forms for the “Thesis Writing 540.14” course. “We prepared around 100 question papers based on the number of forms the Central Department of English had sent us,” said Shankar Bhandari, deputy controller of examinations.

Students from Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus, TU’s Central Department of English, St Xavier’s College and Patan Multiple Campus returned home without sitting for the exam.  “I had never imagined that things will turn this

bad on the last day of our exam.  This shows how irresponsible education authorities are,” said Pratiksha Bhandari, one of the examinees from the TU Central Department of English said. She said she was prepared for the exam and condemned the vandalism. Meanwhile, Joshiya Phuyal, an examinee from Patan Multiple Campus, said the incident occurred due to the negligence of the OCE.  “The OCE must be held accountable for this incident,” she said. The Central Department of English, for the first time this year, had divided 100 mark thesis paper into written exam as well as research paper carrying 50 marks each.

Meanwhile, OCE officials said they would communicate their official view on the

matter on Sunday.